Buy TicketsOnline catalog for 12 sessions beginning Sept. 9 now available
Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, internationally recognized as a source of Thoroughbreds who excel in the sport’s most important races, has cataloged 4,396 horses to be offered over 12 sessions from Monday, Sept. 9 through Saturday, Sept. 21. Click here for the online catalog, which will include walking videos of yearlings and links to the websites of consignors participating in the 81st edition of the auction.
Print catalogs are expected to be mailed around Aug. 16.
“This time of year energizes Keeneland and our entire industry as we prepare to showcase an outstanding collection of quality yearlings and welcome many domestic and international horsemen and horsewomen to Lexington to participate in a vibrant marketplace unlike anything in the world,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Having achieved some of its strongest results in recent years and with an established record of successful graduates, the September Sale is a ‘must attend’ event for buyers and sellers around the world.”
September Sale format remains consistent
For the fourth consecutive year, the format of the September Sale will remain the same:
Week 1
Book 1 – Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 9-10. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. ET.
Each day’s catalog has 176 yearlings.
Book 2 – Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 11-12. Sessions begin at 11 a.m.
Wednesday’s catalog has 380 horses, while 372 horses are cataloged Thursday.
Dark Day – Friday, Sept. 13. No sale will be conducted.
Week 2
Book 3 – Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 14-15. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
A total of 838 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.
Book 4 – Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 16-17. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
A total of 839 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.
Book 5 – Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 18-19. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
A total of 826 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.
Book 6 – Friday-Saturday, Sept. 20-21. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
A total of 789 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.
Keeneland will livestream the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com. As always, online and phone bidding will be available.
Entire sale offers opportunities
Over the course of 12 dynamic days, the September Sale offers unparalleled access to a diverse catalog of exceptional prospects.
“Spanning two weeks and six books, the September Sale caters to buyers at every level, offering yearlings that fit various price points in each session,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “As the quality of entries continues to rise, so does the competition. Shopping on the grounds from Book 1 to Book 6 provides buyers the chance to find everything on their short lists and more. Last year, we were excited to see prominent buyers signing tickets not only on the first day of the sale but all the way through to the final day.”
Another indication of the strong market in later books in 2023 came when the top-priced yearlings of Session 8 and Session 12 each posted record prices for their respective sessions.
Again this year, Books 1 and 2 during the sale’s first four days have cataloged more than 1,000 yearlings judged to be the sale’s finest individuals based on conformation and on such pedigree factors as family sales history, distaff pedigree and sire power. This placement enables major domestic and international buyers to inspect the largest number of exceptional horses possible before the “dark day” on Friday, Sept. 13 when no sale will be held.
Grade 1 winners in 2024 who are alumni of the September Sale include Book 1 horses Arthur’s Ride (Whitney), Leslie’s Rose (Central Bank Ashland) and Newgate (Santa Anita Handicap Presented by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino) and Book 2 representatives Dornoch (Belmont Presented by NYRA Bets and NYRA Bets Haskell) and Randomized (Ogden Phipps Presented by Ford).
The September Sale has produced these additional Grade/Group 1 winners this year: Vahva (Derby City Distaff Presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery) from Book 3; Muth (Arkansas Derby) from Book 4; Du Jour (Frank E. Kilroe Mile) and Kabirkhan (Al Maktoum Challenge), both from Book 5; and Tuz (Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Nakheel) from Book 6.
Through Aug. 4, graduates of the September Sale have won 210 stakes around the world this year with notable victories across North America as well as in England, Ireland, France, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea and United Arab Emirates.
At Del Mar and Saratoga – two important summertime meets that draw the attention of the entire industry – September Sale graduates have accounted for 11 stakes wins.
Del Mar stakes winners are Dr. Venkman (San Diego-G2), Iscreamuscream (San Clemente-G2), Ag Bullet (Osunitas), Formidable Man (Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside) and Miss Justify (Wilton), while Saratoga stakes winners are the aforementioned Arthur’s Ride along with Film Star (Lure), Neat (National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame-G2), Pounce (Lake George-G3), Raging Sea (Shuvee-G3) and Unmatched Wisdom (Curlin).
Catalog features world’s leading sires
Yearlings in the September Sale catalog represent 187 of the world’s most prominent and emerging stallions, including American Pharoah, Authentic, Blame, Blue Point (IRE), Bolt d’Oro, Candy Ride (ARG), City of Light, Complexity, Constitution, Curlin, Dubawi (IRE), Flatter, Ghostzapper, Girvin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Invincible Spirit (IRE), Justify, Kingman (GB), Kitten’s Joy, Liam’s Map, Maclean’s Music, McKinzie, Medaglia d’Oro, More Than Ready, Munnings, Night of Thunder (IRE), No Nay Never, Not This Time, Nyquist, Oscar Performance, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Speightstown, Street Sense, Tapit, Tiz the Law, Twirling Candy, Uncle Mo, Upstart, Vekoma, Violence, War Front and Wootton Bassett (GB).
Horse of the Year Knicks Go, champion Essential Quality and Grade 1 winners Charlatan, Maxfield and Yaupon are among the stallions represented by their first crop of yearlings in the catalog. Other exciting young stallions with their initial sale yearlings include Basin, Beau Liam, Independence Hall, Known Agenda, Lexitonian, Modernist, Raging Bull (FR), Rock Your World, Silver State and Tacitus.